Boston: Scientists have created a new antimicrobial compound that disables the superbugs’ mechanism that renders antibiotic drugs ineffective.
Researchers from Harvard University have found that a new compound called chrysomycin is capable of killing multiple variants of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, it has yet to be determined how safe this compound or similar drugs are for humans.
But scientists say the compound has improved action against bacteria that cause a number of diseases that have killed millions of people.
Antibiotics provide the foundation for modern medicine, said study co-author Calvin Wu. Procedures such as surgery, cancer treatment and organ transplants cannot be performed without antibiotics.
According to the researchers, chrysomycin showed improved ability to inhibit bacterial components called ribosomes (which make proteins inside cells) compared to other known antibiotics.
While some antibiotics work to affect these ribosomes some bacteria have adapted this mechanism to avoid this effect.
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